Hitting out of the sand

You just hit what you thought was a good shot and it comes up a little short and lands in the bunker. When you get to your ball you find it buried in the sand.

I can see you now, your eyes rolling and a disgusted look coming over your face.

Don’t panic — the shot is not as tough as you think. It may not be easy to get it close to the hole, but it is easy to get it out of the bunker and on the green. Follow these simple guidelines and the ball will come out every time.

Set up square to the ball. This means keep your feet parallel to the target line.

Position the ball in the center of your stance. Use your sand wedge, but close the face slightly (turn the toe of the club towards the ball). This will make the club dig into the sand.

Swing normal; you don’t have to swing hard. The ball will pop up and out of the bunker.

Be prepared for it to roll farther than normal. Practice this first before trying it in competition to get comfortable with the new shot. It really is easier than you think.

Another bunker shot that scares golfers is the ball up against the lip of the bunker. This is also easier than it looks.

Most golfers try to scoop or lift the ball out, and all that happens is they hit the lip and the ball rolls back down into their footprints.

Next time, try it this way. Try to get a square stance. This is the hard part because your back foot will be lower than your front foot and the front foot will be out of the bunker.

Position the ball near the center of your stance. Square up your sand wedge.

Now here is the trick: You want to swing the club head straight into the bank just under the ball. The ball will pop up and out of the bunker.

Do not try to help or lift the ball out — just swing straight into the bank under the ball.

One word of caution … if the ball is actually under the lip then this will not work. To pull this shot off you’ll need at least an inch or two between the lip and the ball. (I stand directly over the ball to see if there is enough room.)

If the ball is actually under the lip, you can take an unplayable lie or try to hit it out sideways. Good luck!

Marc Spaulding is Director of Golf at Cane Creek Golf Course.